KAMPALA – The Government of Japan has provided an emergency grant of $500,000 (Sh1.83 billion) to bolster Uganda’s Ebola response, supporting surveillance, contact tracing, public awareness, and frontline care in high-risk communities.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The funding, channeled through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), will enable the Uganda Red Cross Society to scale up lifesaving interventions in affected and high-risk areas.
The assistance comes at a time when Uganda continues to remain on high alert following Ebola cases linked to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Uganda’s health sector has intensified surveillance and preparedness measures along border districts, where 15 of the country’s 20 confirmed Ebola cases have been imported from the DRC.
According to the latest situation report, Uganda currently has only four Ebola patients receiving treatment, while 817 contacts have successfully completed follow-up.
Only nine contacts remained under active monitoring as of Monday, June 22, bringing the country closer to ending one of its most challenging outbreaks in recent years.
Uganda Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga hailed Japan’s emergency grant as timely and vital for reinforcing frontline Ebola response efforts.
He stated that the funding would strengthen the organization’s ability to contain the virus, safeguard communities, and provide critical care to vulnerable populations.
“We deeply appreciate Japan’s timely and generous support during this critical period. This funding will significantly strengthen our capacity to contain Ebola, protect communities, and deliver lifesaving assistance to those most at risk,” Kwesiga said.
Kwesiga added that the assistance highlights the enduring partnership between Japan, the Uganda Red Cross, and the IFRC in addressing health emergencies.
Meanwhile, IFRC Country Head Louise Daintrey-Hall commended the role of Red Cross volunteers, noting that communities are central to outbreak control and that Japan’s contribution would enable scaled-up lifesaving interventions.
“Ebola outbreaks begin and end in communities, and it is Red Cross volunteers who stand at the heart of this response. Japan’s contribution will strengthen the Uganda Red Cross to scale up lifesaving work, helping communities protect themselves and stop the spread of Ebola,” Daintrey-Hall said.
The funding intervention is slated to roll out community awareness campaigns to promote Ebola prevention and dispel dangerous misinformation.
Under the emergency grant, trained Red Cross volunteers will intensify contact tracing and case monitoring, while treatment and isolation centers in high-risk zones receive vital support.
The funding will also cover protective equipment, hygiene supplies, psychosocial care for affected families, and enhanced surveillance systems to catch new infections early.
Red Cross volunteers have already been deployed in several communities where they are conducting awareness campaigns, promoting early reporting of symptoms, and helping counter misinformation that often emerges during disease outbreaks.
The Ministry of Health has repeatedly emphasized that community engagement remains one of the most effective tools in controlling Ebola outbreaks, especially in regions where misinformation, fear, and stigma can undermine public health interventions.
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